Rose's legs were so severely injured that they had to be amputated. Meanwhile, because of the trauma, medications and blood loss, doctors gave her unborn baby just a five percent chance of surviving. Doctors warned that if the baby managed to survive long enough for birth, it might be saddled with severe developmental problems. They presented the option of abortion.

Rose and Alex discussed the prognosis. They "decided that he went through the same 20 hours of trauma that I did," Rose says. "He was still fighting to live so he deserved to be here."